Stop mechanism for engines



Patented May 2V, |899.

P. ECKENROTH. STUP MEGHANISM FOR ENGINES.

(Application filed Jan. 16, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

ma Model.)

Patented May 2, |899. Pl. EcKENRoTH. Y STP MECHNISM FR ENGINES.

(Appumiun med Jan. 1e, ms.)

y 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

m: Norms Eriks co, woruumo., wAsmNcTom n4 c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP ECKENROTH, QF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOPMECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'latent No. 624,312, dated May 2, 1899.

Application tiled January 16, 1899. Serial No. 702,315. (No model.) l

' To all whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known thatl, PHILIP ECKENROTH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Stop Mechanism for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification. i o

The object of my invention is to provide a steam-engine with a safety attachment whereby the engine will be stopped Whenever there iseXcessive pressure in either end of the cylinder. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of sufcient of an engine to illustrate my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of parts of the device, and Figs. 4 and 5 are views illustrating modifications of my invention.

Serious injury to the cylinders of steamengines is frequently caused by accumulations of water therein, improper firing of the boiler-furnaces sometimes resulting in the presence of large volumes of water in the steam. When these volumes of Water exceed the clearance capacity of the cylinder and steam-passages, injury to the cylinder or cylinder-heads almost invariably results, for the pressure behind the piston is augmented by the momentum of the iiy-Wheel and the Water interposes an incompressible medium bewhich may be of any ordinary character and may act upon the valve mechanism of the engine through the medium of any of the devices -usually employed for the purpose.

As shown in the drawings, the governorcontrolled spindle 4 has a projecting lug 5 sliding in a slot in a bearing 6 and having a depending slotted rod 7, which engages with a weighted arm 8, connected to a rock-lever 9, the opposite arms of Vthis lever being connected by rods 10 to the cut-off devices of the valve mechanism, so that the cut-off will be regulated .by the rise and fall of the governorcontrolled spindle 4 due to the increase ordevcrease in the speed of the governor, and the cut-off will be thereby regulated, rise of the spindle 4 above a certain predetermined point effecting the complete cutting off of the supply of steam to the engine. Y

I have not considered it necessary to illustrate the valves and cut-off connections, as many of the well-known Valve mechanisms may be used without departing from. my invention, the latter, in fact, consisting simply of means whereby any ordinary governorcontrolled cu t-o mechanism may be actuated so as to completely cut oif the steam from the engine when there is undue pressure in either end of the cylinder. y

Communicating with each end of the cylinder close to the head of the same is an automatic relief-valve 11 of any available character-sucln for instance, as that shown in Fig. S-these valves being set so as to open only when subjected to pressure greater than the maximum pressure of steam usually employed in running the engine.

Each of the valve-chests 1l is connected by means of a pipe 12 and coupling 13 to a cylinder 14, which contains a piston 15, having a rod with fork or yoke 16 at its outer end, to which fork or yoke is connected a Weighted lever 17, hung to a bracket 18 on a valve-casing 19 and connected to the stem of the valve. The valve-casing 19 is interposed in a pipe 20, which affords communication between the main steam-pipe 2 and the lower end of a cylinder 21, which is mounted adjacent to the governor 3 and contains a piston 22, having a rod which projects through the cap or cover of the cylinder 21 and has mounted upon it a lspring-supported presser 23, which is beneath a projecting arm 24 on the governorcontrolled spindle 4. The cylinder 14 and piston 15 may thereforebe termed a primary pressure device and the cylinder 2,1 and piston 22 a secondary pressure device.

When the engine is running normally, the parts are in the position represented in Fig. 1,- the Valves 11 and 19 being closed and the IOC) pistons 15 and 22 at the bottom of their respective cylinders. Should there be an eX- cessive pressure in either end of the cylinder, however, the relief-valve at that end of the cylinder will be opened and pressure will be exerted upon the piston 15, so as to raise the same, and thereby open the valve inthe casing 19 and permita tlow of steam into the lower en d of the cylinder 21, thus forcing npward the piston 22 therein and causing the pusher 23 to act upon the arm 2i, so as to raise the spindle 4 to abnormal. position, and thereby eiiect such operation of the cut-off mechanism as will prevent the entrance of steam to the cylinder. In order to retain the parts in this position until meanshave been taken to relieve the cylinder from the abnormal conditions existing therein, a lug 5a on the spindle 4, when the latter is lifted by the action'ot'- the presser 23, is engaged by va Weighted trigger 25 and held in the raised position until released by the retraction ot" said trigger. The piston 15 is also held in the raised position in its cylinder 14 by the action of a weighted catch-arm 26, hung to the yoke 16v and adapted when the piston 15 is raised to swing in above the top of the cylinder 14, and thus prevent the descent of the piston in the c-ylinder until the catch has been withdrawn.

It is not absolutely necessary to the proper carrying out ot my invention that the safety attachment should in all casesA act upon the governor to effect the stoppage of the engine, asit may, if desired, act upon the valve-controlling devices independently of the governor.- For instance, in Fig. 4L I have illustratedA a construction embodying the main features of my invention and in which the yoke 16 is connected to a lever 27, actingupon a pivoted trigger 28, which engages with a pivoted toe 29, depending from a Weighted arm 30, the latter being connected by a link 31 to a bell-crank lever 32, to which is also connected a rod 33, slotted for the reception of a pin 34 on one of the arms-ot` the rocklever 9. The normal position of the point of' contact of the trigger 28 and toe 29 is directly between the pivotal axes of these two ele; ments. Hence th e parts are normally retained lin that relation, the slotted rod 33 in this case in-no way interfering with the normal operation of the rock-lever 9 by means of the governor; but when the piston 15 is raised in the cylinder l-i the trigger-13 will be moved so as to laterally shift the points of contact of the trigger and toe, and thereupon the trigger' will swing downward, so as to release the Weighted lever 30 and permit the same to drop, and thereby cause the rod 33 to act upon the lever 9,' so as to move the same to such position as to cause a cutting oft of the inlet of steam to the cylinder.- The safety mechanism may also, it desired, be caused to act upon a throttle-valve in the main steampipe. For instance, as shown in Fig. 5 the Weight-ed lever 30 is connected by a link 35 to an arm 36, which is connected to the stem of a swinging throttle-valvein the main steampipef 2, this valve being normally open, but being closed on the fall of the arm 30.

Vhile I prefer in all cases to use the reliefvalves 11 at the ends of the cylinder, the same Ymay be dispensed with if the piston 15 in the cylinder 14 is `so weighted or is acted upon by such a spring that it cannot be raised except by a pressure exceeding the normal pressure to be carried in the cylinder.

I'Iaving thus described my linvention, I

claim and. desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the cylinder of an engine, mechanism for. controlling the inlet ot steam to the cylinder, a pressure device communicating with the opposite endsof the cylinder and deriving movement from excessive pressure in either end of said. cylinder, and mechanism interposed between said pressure device and the steam-inlet controller whereby the steam may be cut o from the engine whenever the pressure in either end ot' the cylinderexceeds a predetermined limit, substantially as speciiied.

2. The combination of the cylinder of an engine, acut-off-regulating device, a centrifugal governor for operating the same, a pressure device communicating with the opposite endsoi the cylinder and having movement imparted to it when` the pressure in eitherendof the cylinder exceeds a predetermined limit, and mechanism interposed between said pressure device and the governor- ICO controlledcut-oft mechanism whereby the latter will be moved toan extreme position when the pressure in; either end of the cylinder is excessive, substantially as specified.

3; The combination of the cylinder of a steam-engine, mechanism for controlling the inlet of steam to the engine, a primary pressure device communicating with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a secondary pressure device adapted to operate said steam-inletcontrolling mechanism, ka pressure-pipe leading to said secondary pressure device, anda valve in said pipe controlledby the operation of the primary pressure device, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the cylinder of a steam-enginemechanism for controlling the inlet of steam thereto, a pressure device constructed to operate said steam-inlet-controlling mechanism, and relief -valves through which said pressure device communicates with the opposite ends of the cylinder, said relief-valves being constructed. to open when the pressure in either end of the cylinder eX- ceeds a predetermined amount, substantially as speciied.

5. The combination of the` cylinder of a steam-engine, mechanism operated by a centhe cylinder and adapted to impart abnormal movement to the governor-operated valve- IIO controlling mechanism, anda catch for retaining said mechanism in the abnormal position to which it has been adjusted, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the cylinder of a steam-engine, mechanism operated by a centrifugal governor for controlling the inlet of steam to said cylinder, a primary pressure device communicating with the opposite ends of the cylinder and adapted to be operated when the pressure in either end of the cylinder exceeds a predetermined limit, a secondary pressure device adapted to impart abnormal movement to the governor-operated valvecontrolling mechanism, a pressure-pipe leading to said secondary pressure'de'vi'ce, and a valve in said pipe controlled by the operation of said primary pressure device, substantial] y as specied.

7. The combination of the cylinder of a steam-engine, mechanism operated by a centrifugal governor for controlling the inlet of steam to said cylinder, a primary pressure device adapted to be operated when the pressure in either end of the cylinder exceeds a predetermined limit, relief-valves through which said primary pressure device communicates with the opposite endsof the cylinder, a secondary pressure device adapted to impart abnormal movement to the governoroperated valve-con trolling mechanism,a pressure-pipe leading to said secondary pressure device, and arvalve in said pipe, controlled by the operation of said primary pressure device, su'bstantially as'specied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to thisfspecication in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

t PHILIP ECKENROTH.

Witnesses:

CHAs. H. BANNARD, F. E. BEcHToLD. 

